The 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division was an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

. The division was raised in 1908 following the creation of the

Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry ...

(TF) as the East Anglian Division. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

the division fought at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles s ...

and in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

. The division was disbanded after the war but reformed in the Territorial Army in 1920. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

it was a home service division and did not see any combat service abroad and was disbanded in late 1943 but many of its component units went to see service in the

Normandy Campaign Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...

and

North-western Europe Northwestern Europe, or Northwest Europe, is a loosely defined subregion of Europe, overlapping Northern and Western Europe. The region can be defined both geographically and ethnographically. Geographic definitions Geographically, Northw ...

from June 1944 to May 1945.

Formation

The

(TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the

Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (''7 Edw. 7, c.9'') was an Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer ...

(7 Edw.7, c.9) which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force, the Honourable Artillery Company and the

Yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army Reserve, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of different military roles. History Origins In the 1790s, f ...

. On formation, the TF contained 14

divisions and 14 mounted yeomanry

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. ...

s. One of the divisions was the East Anglian Division. The infantry of the division was composed of the

Essex Essex () is a Ceremonial counties of England, county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the Riv ...

, East Midland, and Norfolk and Suffolk Brigades. Divisional headquarters was based at Claremont House in Warley, while the infantry brigades were headquartered at Brentwood,

Bedford Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...

, and

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

. Its subunits were spread across

East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...

and the

East Midlands The East Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of ITL for statistical purposes. It comprises the eastern half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It consists of Leicestershire, Derbyshire, L ...

First World War

While on annual training, the division was ordered to mobilize on 4 August 1914, concentrating in the vicinity of Brentwood by 10 August. After moving to

Chelmsford Chelmsford () is a city in the City of Chelmsford district in the county of Essex, England. It is the county town of Essex and one of three cities in the county, along with Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. It is located north-east of Londo ...

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton ...

, and

on 20 August, the division served on coast defence duty. Three battalions – the 4th battalion

Suffolk Regiment The Suffolk Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army with a history dating back to 1685. It saw service for three centuries, participating in many wars and conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, before b ...

, 1st

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to t ...

, and 1st

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For gov ...

– were sent to France between November 1914 and February 1915. They were replaced in April by the 8th Hampshires, 10th Londons, and 11th London. The battalions of the division were reorganized to include four companies in January 1915, and in May it concentrated near

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman ...

, preparing to be sent overseas. Its destination was revealed to be

on 8 July. Leaving behind the divisional artillery and most of the train, the division departed St. Albans for Devonport and

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

between 20 and 30 July, boarding transports for

Mudros Moudros ( el, Μούδρος) is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eas ...

, where it began arriving on 6 August. The 54th (East Anglian) Division landed at Suvla on 10 August in the Gallipoli Campaign, as a part of

IX Corps 9 Corps, 9th Corps, Ninth Corps, or IX Corps may refer to: France * 9th Army Corps (France) * IX Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars Germany * IX Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German ...

under Lieutenant-General Stopford. By the end of 11 August, ten battalions and the divisional headquarters had landed. As part of the evacuation of the Gallipoli peninsular the division was ordered to re-embark from Gallipoli on 26 November, and returned to Mudros between 3 and 8 December. On 9 December, it included 240 officers and 4,480 other ranks, including reinforcements. It began embarking for Egypt on 13 December, and arrived in Alexandria on 18 December. On the next day, it was concentrated at Sidi Bishr before moving to Mena Camp near

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

. As a result of the Senussi uprising, the 161st Brigade was sent into the Western Desert on 28 December 1915. Between 11 and 15 February 1916, the divisional artillery, which had been sent to France in November 1915 and attached to the 33rd Division, rejoined the division at Mena. The 161st Brigade returned to the division on 5 March, without the 4th Essex, which returned on 23 March. The division took over the southern section of the Suez Canal defences on 2 April, as part of the

Egyptian Expeditionary Force The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt (1914–15), at the beginning o ...

under General Archibald Murray. Then in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, during the

First Battle of Gaza The First Battle of Gaza was fought on 26 March 1917 during the first attempt by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), which was a British Empire military formation, formed on 10 March 1916 under the command of General Archibald Murray from th ...

, on 26 March 1917, the 161st Brigade and divisional artillery were in reserve while the

53rd (Welsh) Division The 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army that fought in both the First and Second World Wars. Originally raised in 1908 as the Welsh Division, part of the Territorial Force (TF), the division saw service in ...

carried out the main attack. These reserves were committed as the battle progressed resulting in the British gaining a foothold in the Turkish defences but the British commander called off the attack as night fell. In the

Second Battle of Gaza The Second Battle of Gaza was fought on 17-19 April 1917, following the defeat of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) at the First Battle of Gaza in March, during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of the First World War. Gaza was defended by ...

, the 1/4th and 1/5th Battalions of the

Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

sustained 75 per cent casualties (about 1,200 men). It took part in the successful

Third Battle of Gaza The Third Battle of Gaza was fought on the night of 1–2 November 1917 between British and Ottoman forces during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign of World War I and came after the British Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) victory at the ...

as part of XXI Corps led by General Bulfin, and by the end of 1917

Edmund Allenby Field Marshal Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, (23 April 1861 – 14 May 1936) was a senior British Army officer and Imperial Governor. He fought in the Second Boer War and also in the First World War, in which he led th ...

's forces had taken

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. The division fought in the Battle of Jaffa on 21 and 22 December. Norfolk_Regiment_soldiers_resting_on_the_road_to_Beirut,_October_1918_(Q_12477)

The 162nd Brigade participated in the Fight at Ras el'Ain during the

Battle of Tell 'Asur The Battle of Tell 'Asur, also known as the actions of Tel Asur or the Battle of Turmus 'Aya, took place 8–12 March 1918, after the decisive victory at the Battle of Jerusalem and the Capture of Jericho The Capture of Jericho occurred betwe ...

on 12 March 1918. The division fought in the attack at Berukin on 9 and 10 April/ In September 1918 the division took part in the Battle of Sharon between 19 and 23 September. After the end of the battle, the division concentrated at

Hableh Hableh ( ar, حبله, also transliterated Hable, Habla, Hablah, Hibla, Hiblah) is a Palestinian village located in the Qalqilya Governorate of the State of Palestine, in the northwestern West Bank. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of S ...

on 24 September and was ordered to move to

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

three days later. It began advancing to Haifa on 28 September through

Atlit Atlit ( he, עַתְלִית, ar, عتليت) is a coastal town located south of Haifa, Israel. The community is in the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council in the Haifa District of Israel. Off the coast of Atlit is a submerged Neolithic village. At ...

, and finished concentrating there on 4 October, where it improved communications. The division was ordered to begin the advance to

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

on 20 October, which was conducted by brigade group in daylong intervals. The advance began three days later, through

Acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...

Naqoura Naqoura (, ''Enn Nâqoura, Naqoura, An Nāqūrah'') is a small city in southern Lebanon. Since March 23, 1978, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been headquartered in Naqoura. Name According to E. H. Palmer (1881), the nam ...

, Tyre, and

Sidon Sidon ( ; he, צִידוֹן, ''Ṣīḏōn'') known locally as Sayda or Saida ( ar, صيدا ''Ṣaydā''), is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast. ...

. The division reached Beirut between 31 October and 5 November, as the war with the Ottoman Empire ended on 31 October. The division moved back by sea to

El Qantara El Qantara ( ar, القنطرة, al qantara, the bridge) is a northeastern Egyptian city on both sides of the Suez Canal, in the Egyptian governorate of Ismailia, northeast of Cairo and south of Port Said. The two parts of the city are connec ...

from 28 November, beginning with the 163rd Brigade, and then moved to Helmie, where it concentrated on 7 December without its artillery and train. The divisional artillery and train arrived via El Qantara by 14 December, except for the CCLXXII Brigade, which marched from Beirut to Tulkarm before entraining for Helmie on 9 December. The demobilization of the division began on 6 January 1919 with the disbandment of the three brigade trench mortar brigades. The division personnel filled the time with educational courses in January as they were gradually demobilized. By 22 May only six battalions remained, and on 29 May the 77th Brigade joined the division and was renumbered as the 161st Brigade. The CII Brigade joined and temporarily became the division artillery on 1 June. The Territorial units were reduced to cadre strength and the war-time units were disbanded, with the division ceasing to exist in Egypt on 30 September 1919.

Between the wars

The division was disbanded after the Great War when the whole of the Territorial Force was disbanded. However, it was reformed in 1920 as the Territorial Army (TA) and the division was reconstituted with Eastern Command, initially with a similar composition to before the First World War but, over the next few years, with a much different composition.

Buildup to the Second World War

Throughout the 1930s, tensions built between

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

and the United Kingdom as well as its

allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

. During late 1937 and throughout 1938, German demands for the annexation of Czechoslovakia's

Sudetenland The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and sk, Sudety) is the historical German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the ...

led to an international crisis. In an attempt to avoid war, British

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Neville Chamberlain Arthur Neville Chamberlain (; 18 March 18699 November 1940) was a British politician of the Conservative Party who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. He is best known for his foreign policy of appeaseme ...

met the German

Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...

in September and brokered the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...

. The agreement averted immediate war and allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland. Chamberlain had intended the agreement to lead to further peaceful resolution of issues, but relations between both countries soon deteriorated. On 15 March 1939, Germany breached the terms of the agreement by invading and occupying the remnants of the Czech state. In response, on 29 March, the British

Secretary of State for War The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...

Leslie Hore-Belisha announced plans to increase the Territorial Army from 130,000 men to 340,000 and in so doing double the number of territorial divisions. The plan of action was for the existing units to recruit over their allowed establishments (aided by an increase in pay for territorials, the removal of restrictions on promotion that had been a major hindrance to recruiting during the preceding years, the construction of better quality barracks, and an increase in supper-time rations) and then form Second Line divisions from small cadres that could be built upon. As a result, the 54th was to provide cadres to form a Second Line duplicate unit, which would become the 18th Infantry Division following the start of the war. In April, limited

conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to Ancient history, antiquity and it continues in some countries to th ...

was introduced. At that time 34,500 militiamen, all aged 20, were conscripted into the regular army, initially to be trained for six months before being deployed to the forming second line units. Despite the intention for the army to grow in size, the programme was complicated by a lack of central guidance on the expansion and duplication process and issues regarding the lack of facilities, equipment and instructors.

Second World War

Upon the outbreak of the

in September 1939, the 54th Division, commanded by

Major-General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

John Priestman Sir John Priestman, 1st Baronet (22 March 1855 – 5 August 1941) was a British shipbuilder and charitable benefactor. Priestman was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, the son of Robert Priestman (1824–1867), a baker, and Jane Smith (c.18 ...

, a Regular Army officer, and serving under Eastern Command, was mobilised for full-time war service. Comprising still the 161st, 162nd and 163rd Infantry Brigades and divisional troops, the division absorbed hundreds of conscripts and spent the first few months of the war, after guarding various designated 'vulnerable points', training for eventual overseas service. The division remained in the United Kingdom as a local defence formation, being downgraded to a Lower Establishment in January 1942. The division was disbanded and broken up on 14 December 1943. Its component units would take part in the

as support units, with the HQ

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

becoming HQ 8th

Army Group Royal Artillery An Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) was a British Commonwealth military formation during the Second World War and shortly thereafter. Generally assigned to Army corps, an AGRA provided the medium and heavy artillery to higher formations within the ...

and HQ

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is head ...

becoming HQ Royal Engineers for the

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, the other being ...

. The divisional HQ was redesignated HQ Lines of Communication (54th Division) for the

21st Army Group The 21st Army Group was a British headquarters formation formed during the Second World War. It controlled two field armies and other supporting units, consisting primarily of the British Second Army and the First Canadian Army. Established in ...

. The division was not reformed in the post-war Territorial Army in 1947 but the 161st and 162nd Infantry Brigades both survived until disbandment in the 1960s.

Postwar

The formation became known as East Anglian District when the Territorial Army was reformed on 1 January 1947. In 1961 it became a district headquarters as 54th (East Anglian) Division/District, and it was disbanded on the reduction of the TA into the

Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve The Army Reserve is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the British Army. It is separate from the Regular Reserve whose members are ex-Regular personnel who retain a statutory liability for service. The Army Reserve was known as the Ter ...

on 1 April 1967, when many individual TA units lost their identities. The district headquarters itself formed the core of the structure for the creation of Eastern District under HQ UK Land Forces in 1972.

General officers commanding

General Officers Commanding have included:

Orders of battle

1910

;East Anglian Division (1910) *Norfolk and Suffolk Brigade **4th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment **5th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment **4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment **5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment *East Midland Brigade ** 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment ** 4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment ** 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment ** 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment *Essex Brigade ** 4th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 5th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 6th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 7th Battalion, Essex Regiment * Divisional Artillery ** 1st East Anglian Brigade,

Royal Field Artillery The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of ...

(RFA) *** 1st Norfolk Battery *** 2nd Norfolk Battery *** 3rd Norfolk Battery *** 1st East Anglian Ammunition Column ** 2nd East Anglian Brigade, RFA *** 1st Essex Battery *** 2nd Essex Battery *** 3rd Essex Battery *** 2nd East Anglian Ammunition Column ** 3rd East Anglian (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA *** 1st Suffolk Battery *** 2nd Suffolk Battery *** 3rd East Anglian Ammunition Column ** 4th East Anglian Brigade, RFA *** 1st Hertfordshire Battery *** 2nd Hertfordshire Battery *** Northamptonshire Battery *** 4th East Anglian Ammunition Column **

East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery The East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery was a part-time unit of Britain's Territorial Force formed in 1908 from part of an existing Essex volunteer artillery unit. It fought on the Western Front during World War I, at t ...

* Divisional Engineers ** 1st East Anglian Field Company,

(RE) ** 2nd East Anglian Field Company, RE ** East Anglian Divisional Telegraph Company, RE * Army Service Corps ** East Anglian Transport and Supply Column *

Royal Army Medical Corps The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps ...

** 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 2nd East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 3rd East Anglian Field Ambulance

First World War

;54th (East Anglian) Division (1914–1918) *161st (Essex) Brigade ** 1/4th Battalion,

Essex Regiment The Essex Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 to 1958. The regiment served in many conflicts such as the Second Boer War and both World War I and World War II, serving with distinction in all three. ...

** 1/5th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 1/6th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 1/7th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 161st Machine Gun Company,

Machine Gun Corps The Machine Gun Corps (MGC) was a Regiment, corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in the World War I, First World War. Th ...

(formed 23 April 1916, moved to 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 19 April 1918) ** 161st Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 17 May 1917) *162nd (East Midland) Brigade ** 1/5th Battalion,

Bedfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the First and Second World W ...

** 1/4th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment ** 1/1st Battalion,

Cambridgeshire Regiment The Cambridgeshire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, and was part of the Territorial Army. Originating in units of rifle volunteers formed in 1860, the regiment served in the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First and Secon ...

(to France, February 1915) ** 1/1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment (to France, November 1914) ** 2/1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment (joined February 1915 from 2nd East Anglian Division to replace 1/1st Cambridgeshires, returned to 2nd East Anglian Division in April of that year) ** 1/10th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (Hackney) (from April 1915) ** 1/11th (County of London) Battalion, London Regiment (

Finsbury Rifles The Finsbury Rifles was a unit of Britain's Volunteer Force and later Territorial Army from 1860 to 1961. It saw action at Gallipoli, in Palestine and on the Western Front during World War I. In World War II it served in the Anti-Aircraft (AA) ...

) (from April 1915) ** 162nd Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Company (formed 26 April 1916, moved to 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 19 April 1918) ** 162nd Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 5 May 1917) *163rd (Norfolk and Suffolk) Brigade ** 1/4th Battalion,

** 1/5th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment ** 1/4th Battalion,

(to France, November 1914) ** 1/5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment ** 1/8th (Isle of Wight Rifles, Princess Beatrice's) Battalion,

Hampshire Regiment The Hampshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, created as part of the Childers Reforms in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot and the 67th (South Hampshire) Regiment of Foot. The regim ...

(from 19 April 1915) ** 163rd Machine Gun Company, Machine Gun Corps (formed 1 May 1916, moved to 54th Battalion, Machine Gun Corps 19 April 1918) ** 163rd Trench Mortar Battery (formed by 4 May 1917) * 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Artillery * 1/I East Anglian Brigade, RFA (numbered CCLXX Brigade on 26 May 1916 and CCLXXII Brigade on 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Norfolk Battery (became A Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/2nd Norfolk Battery (became B Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/3rd Norfolk Battery (became C Battery on 26 May 1916, broken up between A and B Batteries on 21 December 1916) ** 1/I East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/II East Anglian Brigade, RFA (numbered CCLXXI Brigade on 26 May 1916) ** 1/1st Essex Battery (became A Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/2nd Essex Battery (became B Battery on 26 May 1916) ** 1/3rd Essex Battery (became C Battery on 26 May 1916, broken up between A and B Batteries on 20 December 1916) ** C (Howitzer) Battery (joined 20 December 1916 from CCLXXII (H) Brigade) ** 1/II East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/III East Anglian Brigade (Howitzers) (numbered CCLXXII (H) Brigade on 28 May 1916, broken up 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Suffolk Battery (Howitzers) (became A (Howitzer) Battery 28 May 1916, to CCLXXI Brigade 21 December 1916) ** 1/2nd Suffolk Battery (Howitzers) (became B (Howitzer) Battery 28 May 1916, to CCLXX Brigade 21 December 1916) ** 1/III East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/IV East Anglian Brigade, RFA (numbered CCLXXIII Brigade on 29 May 1916 and CCLXX Brigade on 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Hertfordshire Battery (became A Battery on 29 May 1916) ** 1/2nd Hertfordshire Battery (became B Battery on 29 May 1916, broken up between A and C Batteries on 21 December 1916) ** 1/1st Northamptonshire Battery (became C Battery on 29 May 1916, became B Battery on 21 December 1916) ** C (Howitzer) Battery (joined 21 December 1916 from CCLXXII (H) Brigade) ** 1/IV East Anglian Brigade Ammunition Column * 1/1st East Anglian (Essex) Heavy Battery, RGA (left in England when division went to Gallipoli; later served in France) * 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Ammunition Column (detachment accompanied division to Gallipoli, while the remainder were sent to France in November 1915, where they became the 55th (West Lancashire) Divisional Ammunition Column January 1916) Divisional artillery after August 1916 reorganisation: * CCLXX Brigade, RFA ** A, B, C (H) Batteries * CCLXXI Brigade, RFA ** A, B, 440 (H) Batteries * CCLXXIII Brigade, RFA ** A, B, C (H) Batteries * Trench Mortars (joined on 3 October 1917, left 2 March 1918) ** X.54 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ** Y.54 Medium Trench Mortar Battery ** Z.54 Medium Trench Mortar Battery * Divisional Engineers ** 1/1st East Anglian Field Company, RE (joined 2nd Division in France on 5 January 1915) ** /2nd East Anglian Field Company, RE (renumbered 484th Field Company on 1 February 1917) ** 2/1st East Anglian Field Company (formed after mobilisation; renumbered 485th Field Company on 1 February 1917), RE ** 1st Kent Fortress Field Company, RE (joined 1 July 1916; renumbered 495th (1st Kent) Field Company on 1 February 1917) ** 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Signal Company, RE *

** 1st East Anglian Field Ambulance (joined 29th Division in January 1915) ** 2nd East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 3rd East Anglian Field Ambulance ** 2/1st East Anglian Field Ambulance (formed after mobilisation)

Second World War

;54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division (Second World War) * 161st Infantry Brigade (until 17 December 1940) ** 1/4th Battalion,

(left 20 July 1940) ** 1/5th Battalion, Essex Regiment (until 14 December 1940) ** 2/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment (left 18 September 1939) ** 2/5th Battalion, Essex Regiment ** 5th (Hackney) Battalion,

Royal Berkshire Regiment The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1959. The regiment was created in 1881, as the Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), b ...

(left 18 September 1939) ** 7th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (left 18 September 1939) ** 161st Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 10 July 1940) * 162nd Infantry Brigade (until 10 November 1942 and from 5 September 1943) ** 6th Battalion,

Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the First and Second World W ...

** 1st Battalion,

Hertfordshire Regiment The Hertfordshire Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the Territorial Army, part of the British Army. Originating in units of Rifle Volunteers formed in 1859, the regiment served in the Second Anglo-Boer War and the First and Second Worl ...

(to September 1942) ** 2nd Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment (to September 1942) ** 162nd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 1 February 1940, disbanded 14 July 1941) * 163rd Infantry Brigade (redesignated 53rd Infantry Brigade 18 September 1939) ** 5th Battalion,

Royal Norfolk Regiment The Royal Norfolk Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army until 1959. Its predecessor regiment was raised in 1685 as Henry Cornwall's Regiment of Foot. In 1751, it was numbered like most other British Army regiments and named ...

(until 17 September 1939) ** 6th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment (until 17 September 1939) ** 7th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment (until 17 September 1939) ** 2/4th Battalion, Essex Regiment (from 18 September 1939 until 11 April 1943) ** 5th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (from 18 September 1939 until 1 November 1943) ** 7th (Hackney) Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment (from 18 September 1939, disbanded 10 October 1942) ** 163rd Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 1 February 1940, disbanded 14 July 1941) ** 6th Battalion,

King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army. It served under various titles and fought in many wars and conflicts, including both the First and the Second World Wars, from 1680 to 1959. In 1959, the r ...

(from 16 October until 11 December 1942) ** 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion,

Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was a light infantry regiment of the British Army that existed from 1881 until 1958, serving in the Second Boer War, World War I and World War II. The regiment was formed as a consequence ...

(from 12 December 1942 until 30 May 1943) **

5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) The 5th Battalion, King's Regiment (Liverpool) (5th King's) was a volunteer unit of the King's Regiment (Liverpool) of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force (TF) (the Territorial Army (TA) from 1921). The battalion traced its heritage t ...

(from 18 July 1943 until 1 November 1943) *

198th Infantry Brigade The 198th Infantry Brigade, was first formed as part of the United States Army Reserve's 99th Division. It was active from 1967 through 1971 and has been active since 2007 as an Infantry Training Brigade as part of the US Army Infantry School at ...

(from 20 December 1940) ** 8th (Irish) Battalion,

King's Regiment (Liverpool) The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which were ...

** 6th Battalion,

Border Regiment The Border Regiment was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, which was formed in 1881 under the Childers Reforms by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmorland) Regiment of Foot. After service i ...

** 7th Battalion, Border Regiment (until 9 December 1942) ** 198th Infantry Brigade Anti-Tank Company (formed 30 July 1940, disbanded 14 July 1941) ** 2nd Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment (from 9 December 1942) ;Divisional troops * HQ 54th Divisional Artillery,

(became

8th Army Group Royal Artillery 8th Army Group Royal Artillery (8 AGRA) was a brigade-sized formation organised by Britain's Royal Artillery (RA) during World War II to command medium and heavy guns. It served in the campaign in North West Europe, participating in the battle ...

1 May 1943) ** 85th (East Anglian) Field Regiment (to 24 August 1942) ** 86th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment (to 9 June 1942) ** 134th Field Regiment (to 10 February 1942) ** 168th Field Regiment (from 9 June 1942 to 9 June 1943) ** 55th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment (to 21 February 1943) ** 19th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (from 21 April 1942 to 9 September 1942)19 LAA Rgt at Ra 39–45.
/ref> * HQ 54th Divisional Engineers,

(to

20 May 1943) ** 248th (East Anglian) Field Company (to 16 September 1939) ** 249th (East Anglian) Field Company (to 6th Airborne Division 20 May 1943) ** 286th Field Company (to 20 May 1943) ** 289th Field Park Company (to 2 March 1942) ** 250th Field Company (from September, to 42nd Divisional Engineers 20 October 1939) ** 556th Field Company (from 4 January 1940 to 29 December 1941) ** 591st (Antrim) Field Company (from 1 January 1942, to 6th Airborne Division 20 May 1943) * 54th (East Anglian) Divisional Signals,

Royal Corps of Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield commun ...

* 54th Battalion,

Reconnaissance Corps The Reconnaissance Corps, or simply Recce Corps, was a corps of the British Army, formed during the Second World War whose units provided reconnaissance for infantry divisions. It was formed from infantry brigade reconnaissance groups on 14 Janu ...

(raised 15 July 1941)

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

* * * Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 3b: New Army Divisions (30–41) and 63rd (R.N.) Division'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1939/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, . * * * * * * * Maj J. Macartney-Filgate, ''History of the 33rd Divisional Artillery in the War 1914–1918'', Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2005, . * * * *

External links

54th (East Anglian) Division

{{DEFAULTSORT:54 Infantry Division 1908 establishments in the United Kingdom Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War I Infantry divisions of the British Army in World War II Military units and formations disestablished in 1943 Military units and formations established in 1908

Formation

First World War

Between the wars

Buildup to the Second World War

Second World War

Postwar

General officers commanding

Orders of battle

1910

First World War

Second World War

See also

References

Footnotes

Citations

Sources

Further reading

External links